Counterflow heat exchanger



Oct. 13, 1936. M. sAcK COUNTERFLOW HEAT EXCHANGER Filed June 4, 1936 Melvin Patented Oct. 13, 1936 COUNTERFLOW HEAT EXCHANGER Melvin Sack, Louisville, Ky., assigner to Henry Vogt Machine Co., Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky Application June 4, 1936, Serial No. 83,578

7 Claims.

The invention forming the subject matter of this application is Va' heat exchangerdesigned to effect the transfer of heat between iluids moving in vertically opposite directions on opposite' l sides of a heat conducting medium; and is in the nature of an improvement on the heat exchanging apparatus disclosed in the patent to- Kubaugh, No. 1,935,270, November 14, 1933.

The main object of the invention is to simplify 10 apparatus of the type disclosed in the Kubaugh patent sov as to increase the eiiiciency, and to lower the costs of manufacture of such apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide anl apparatus of this type, in which the fluids involved in the transfer of heat are more rapidly distributed along the transfer surfaces of the heat exchanging medium.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the detailed description thereof proceeds. ,In vthe drawing:

Figure 1 isaocntral vertical section through the heat exchanger forming the subject matter of this application;

Figure2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure l, with a cover removed there from; and l I Figure 3 is a horizontal transverse section taken on lthe line 3-3 of Figure 1, 'with the heat exchanging tubes omitted.

As shown in the drawing, the apparatus comprises a shell I, which is preferably cylindrical. Tube sheets 2 and 3 are suitably secured to the opposite ends of theY shell I. Tubes 4 have their opposite ends secured with gas-tight fit in the tube sheets 2 and 3, and have their open ends projecting, equidistantly beyond the outer surfaces of the tube sheets 2 and 3.

The tubes 4 are spaced apart from each other sufficiently to permit 4the fluid undergoing change of temperatureto flow between their outer surfaces. In order to increase the rate of horizontal distribution of this uid throughout the cross-sectional Aarea of the shell, .a number of'A these tubes are omitted so as to fonn a lane 5 extendingdiametrically across the shell I. At the center of the lane 5 and on opposite sides thereof, several tubes may be omitted to form 5( triangular recesses 6 and 'I, symmetrically are ranged with respect to the planebisecting the lane 5 and including the axis of the 'cylindrical shell I. The tube sheets 2 and 3 must be imperforate at the parts thereof overlying, the lane 5r 5 and the recesses t and l formed by emision of tubes within the shell I. It will be obvious that any desired numberA of these lanes and recesses Vmay Abe provided, dependent upon the size of the apparatus employed.

' A tank 8 is secured with gas-tight nt to the 5 upper part of the shell I, and has its bottom 9 extending a substantial distance below the upper tube sheet 2. A pipe I0 projects outwardly from the shell I through the vertical wall of the tank 8 to form an outlet for the uid undergoing'lV heat exchange in the aforesaid shell. Aninlet pipe II for this iluid4 is vconnected to the lower part of the shell I slightly above the lower tube sheet 3. Inorder to secure a thorough circulation of the iluid in the shell I, the latter is l5 providedl with a series of baffle plates I2 and I3 spaced vertically apart throughout the length of the shell I. Each of these baille plates is less in cross-sectional area than the cross-seovtional area of the shell I, and all are arranged o to provide passageways alternately staggered to force the iiuid to follow a tortuous path in the vertical direction through the shell I.

The other iiuid involved in heat exchange is introduced into the tank 8 through a pipe I4, 25'

operate es a deflection ring, causing the level of 35 the fluid introduced through the pipe 8 to rise uniformly around the upper part of the shell and to flow evenly over the top of the tube sheet 2 with the consequent even distribution of duid. to the upper or ferrule ends of the tubes 4. 40 These projecting upper ends of the tubes 4, in eiect then, perform the same function as the errules of the Kubaugh apparatus.

It will be evident from Figures l and 2 of the drawing, that as the fluid rises in the tank 8 45 around the upper end of the shell I, it will iiow radially inward through the spaces between the arcuate arrangement of projecting tubes 4. At the same time, part of this fluid flowing unobstructedly along the lane 5 and in the recesses 50 and 'I, iiowsradially outward of the tubes or ferrules, 'and thereby greatly increases the rate of distribution of the uid to the tubes 4.

Thelower tube sheet 3 may be 'suitably secured to a collecting tank I5 provided with the g5 usual outlet I6. However, this ,tank may be omitted and the lower end of the tubes it left from the foregoing description and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages; the form herein described being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrating my invention.

What I claim is:

1. Heat exchanging apparatus comprising a substantially vertical shell having a uid inlet at its lower end and afluid outlet at its upper end, tube sheets closing opposite ends of said lshell, open ended tubes projecting vertically through said"tube sheets and having their upper endslprojecting as ferrules equidistantly above -the upper tube sheet, a tank surrounding the upper part of said shell and having its bottom secured thereto below the upper-tube sheet, and a uid inlet connected to said tank below said upper tube sheet.`

2. Heat excha ging apparatus comprising a substantially vertical shell having a fluid inlet .at its lower end and a fluid outlet at its upper end', tube sheets lclosing opposite ends of said shell, open ended tubes projecting vertically through said tube sheets and havingftheir upper ends projecting as ferrules equidistantly above the upper tube sheet, a tank surrounding the upper part.of said shell and having its bottom [secured thereto below the upper tube sheet, and a fluid inlet connected to said tank below said upper tube sheet, said tubes being arranged to provide an unobstructedvertical lane extending diametrically across said shell.-

.3. Heat exchanging apparatus comprising a substantially vertical shell having auid inlet atY .its lower end and a iluid outlet at its upper end, tube sheets closing opposite ends of said shell,`

open ended tubes projecting vertically through said tube sheets and having their upper ends projecting as ferrules equidistantly above the upper tube sheet, a tank surrounding the upper part of said shell and having its bottom secured thereto below the upper tube sheet, and a uid inlet connected to said tank below said' upper tube sheet, said tubes being arranged to provide unobstructed vertical passageways within said v shell and over said upper tube'sheet.

4. Heat exchanging apparatus comprising a substantially vertical shell having a uid inlet diametrically across said shell, and baiile platesv spaced apart vertically and staggered in said ,shell between the inlet and outlet ends thereof.

5. Heat exchanging apparatus comprising a substantially vertical shell having a fluid inlet .at its lower end and a iluid outlet at its upper end, tube sheets closing opposite ends of said shell, open ended tubes projecting vertically through said tube sheets and having their upper ends projecting as ferrules equidistantly 'above the upper tube sheet, a tank surrounding thel upper part of said shell and, having its bottom v secured thereto below the upper tube sheet, a. fluid inlet connected to said tank below said upper tube sheet, a cover for said tank, and a second tank secured to and closing the lower end of said shell, the upper end of one of said tubes extending substantially about the upper ferrule ends of the other tubes 'to equalize pressure in said tanks.

6. Heat exchanging apparatus comprising a substantially vertical shell having a fluid inlet at its lower end anda fluid outlet at its upper end,l tube sheets closing opposite ends of said shell, open ended tubes projecting vertically through said tube sheets and having their upper ends projecting as ferrules. equidistantlyabove the upper tube sheet, a tank surrounding the upper part of said shell' and having its bottom secured thereto below the upper tube sheet, a fluid inlet connected to said tank below said upper tube sheet, a cover for said tank, and a second tank secured to and closing the lower end of said shell, and means for equalizing pressures in said ltanks.

7. Heat exchanging apparatus comprising aA substantially vertical shell having a fluid inlet at its lower end and a fluid outlet at its upper end, tube sheets closing opposite ends of said shell, open ended tubes projecting vertically through said tube sheets and having their upper ends projecting as ferrules equi-distantly above 

